Noise consultation – Bournemouth Airport

As part of a European Union directive, Bournemouth Airport is undertaking a public consultation on its draft plans to manage the impact of aircraft noise and review the measures currently in place. 

The EU directive requires all main sources of environmental noise, including airports, major roads, railways and urban conurbations with more than 250,000 residents, to produce Noise Action Plans. 

Bournemouth Airport says it already has a range of noise management measures in place, including “noise preferred routes,” which involve aircraft flying specified departure routes to avoid affecting residents as much as possible.

Commenting on the consultation, Bournemouth Airport’s Managing Director, Rob Goldsmith said:  “The Airport is an important part of the region, generating more than 900 jobs and providing travel opportunities to more than forty destinations.  We hope this consultation will allow the local community another valuable opportunity to feed back their views and help the Airport establish whether the existing noise mitigation programme is appropriate for the levels of noise currently generated.”

Cllr Sally Derham Wilkes, Christchurch Borough Council’s representative on the airport advisory committee, said: “We are pleased to see that the airport has  begun a public consultation on its draft plans to manage the impact of aircraft noise and the council will be submitting its own views to the consultation.”

For people wishing to take part in the consultation, copies of the action plan are available online at www.bournemouthairport.com.  Additionally copies are available to view in the Bournemouth, Christchurch, East Dorset and New Forest Council Offices, as well as Bournemouth, Christchurch, Wimborne and Lyndhurst libraries.

The Airport’s draft Noise Action Plan consultation continues until 21 October 2009.